Legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch returns to the Pasadena Pops

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As spring officially turns to summer, Southern California’s musical landscape will change too. Next weekend, the Pasadena Pops orchestra will move into its new summer concert venue at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanica Garden in Arcadia. The season kicks off with legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch at the podium.

Hamlisch will lead a program built around his 1978 Broadway musical, “They’re Playing Our Song,” featuring performances by Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz. Hamlisch’s life in music stretches all the way back to his days at Julliard, where at the age of 7, he was the youngest student ever accepted. Since then, his contributions to the world of music and entertainment have been dizzyingly extensive. His celebrated compositions include scores to movies like “The Way We Were,” “The Sting” and “Ordinary People.” Hamlisch also composed the unforgettable score for the 1975 Broadway musical “A Chorus Line,” earning him both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize.

But those aren’t the only awards the highly prolific maestro has taken home. Hamlisch is actually one of only twelve entertainers to be an EGOT, or the winner of all the top four entertainment prizes (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). As if that’s not enough, he’s also a charismatic font of musical history and memorable tales who has dedicated his life to bringing people together with music. Hamlisch joins Larry in studio to talk about his extensive career and his latest projects with the Pasadena Pops.